April 25, 2023 11:10 a.m.
Umpqua Community College has recently purchased three buildings in downtown Roseburg and will convert them into student housing and some additional community learning space.
A UCC release said the college paid $1.925 million for the buildings which have a total of 62,000 square feet.
The college will take ownership of the former Flegal Center, now named the Hawk’s Nest, which it had been renting since 2019. The building is on the corner of Southeast Oak Street and Southeast Kane Street.
UCC will also renovate and create housing in a building in the 700 block of Southeast Jackson Street. It had been used for office space by Redeemer’s Fellowship until recently and in past decades was home to Newberry’s Department Store. The college will also renovate a building at the corner of Southeast Cass Avenue and Southeast Stephens Street. The property was used by Phoenix School for years until 2002 and has sat vacant since then. It was originally the location of the U.S. Post Office for Roseburg.
UCC President Dr. Rachel Pokrandt said, “Roseburg has already enjoyed the benefits of having students living downtown which provides the opportunity for them to shop at local businesses and volunteer for events. We believe almost 100 additional students will continue to help with economic and cultural vibrancy as well as ensure our students have somewhere to live while they learn “.
Roseburg City Manager Nikki Messenger saluted the move on the part of the college as the next phase in the revitalization of the downtown area. Messenger said, “Downtown is full of life right now, with thriving new and older businesses. The presence of students downtown will add value to what the city has done to support economic success for our downtown businesses”.
The release said construction to upgrade the Hawk’s Nest and remodel the other two buildings will begin this summer and will be phased in over the next few years. The purchases are part of the colleges strategic plan that aims to grow programming by ensuring local students, and those from outside the area, have a place to live, work and learn.
The college also owns the Hawks Landing, a building off of Northeast Stephens Street. It houses 45 students and has been occupied since 2021. That building was the location of Casa de Belen, which housed homeless teens and family members. It closed in 2020.